He steals a Mercedes and demands 380,000 CFA francs from its owner to recover it

In Bobo-Dioulasso, a 26-year-old apprentice mechanic identified as S.J. is suspected of stealing a Mercedes 190 on October 11, 2026, after finding a door unlocked and taking a key from a nearby garage. The following day, he allegedly contacted the owner using a SIM card purchased with a stolen identity document and demanded 380,000 CFA francs for information about the car, giving the owner three hours to pay. The police’s Research and Intervention Brigade set a trap and arrested him on October 12 at around 5 p.m.; he reportedly later admitted to the crime. Police recovered the Mercedes, the phone and SIM card used, and another person’s identity document.